Refrigerating apparatus.



Patented July 29, 1913.

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QM R Q F. W. WOLF, JR. & H. H. SOUT HWORTH. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1910.

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F. W. WOLF, Jn. & H. H. SOUTHWORTH.

' REFRIGERATING. APPARATUS. I IAPPLIOATION IILBD AUG. 22, 1910. 11,61 0 Patented July 29, 1913.

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P. W. WOLF, JR. & H. H. SOUTHWORTH.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS. APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 22, 1910.

1,68,6 1 8., r Patented July 29, 1913.

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FRED. W. WOLF, JRQ, AND HARRISON H. SOUTHWORTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS- SIGNORS T0 ICELESS REFRIGERATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION OF ILLINOIS.

REFRIGEBATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29', 1913.

Application filed August 22, 1910. Serial No. 578,329.

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of'this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerating apparatus and particularly to refrigerating apparatus of the absorption type. The invention is shown herein as applied to an apparatus of the alternating absorption type. A refrigerating apparatus of this kind in its most familiar form usually includes two drums, each constituting a generator absorber and each of which alternately contains weak liquor while the other routains strong liquor, the one containing weak liquor being subjected to the action of cooling water and receiving ammonia gas on its return from the refrigerating coils, while the other, containing strong liquor, is being subjected to the action of heat to drive off the ammonia gas which it has previously absorbed to condensing coils where the ammonia gas is condensed into liquid form and thence conveyed through an expansion'valve beyond which it expands as a gas through the refrigerating coils and so back to the generator-absorber containing ,the weak liquor. After the capacity for absorption of the liquor in the'weak'liquor drum has been satisfied, the cooling water is diverted to the other drum which now contains weak liquor, so that the second drum now absorbs ammonia gas, while. the first drum gives off ammonia gas; The shifting of the cooling water from one drum to the other, and alsothe shifting of the gas in the reverse direction from one drumto the other, has heretofore required manual operatlon', and the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus in which the 'shifting'of the cooling water and of the gas supply is controlledautomatically.

Our invention depends for itsoperation upon the fact that as the weak-liquor in the one drum absorbs ammonia gas, the weight of said liquor'increases in proportion to the. amount of gas absorbed, while as the ammonia gas is driven off from the strongliquor in the other drum. In carrying out our invention we have applied this principleln'echanically to the operation of certain devices by means of which the cooling water is diverted to one drum and the gas supply is diverted to the otherydrum 'tocorrespond to the change of location 'of the weak and strong liquor.

In the dra-wings':Figui-e'1 isa side elevation of an apparatus embodying the features of our-invention. Fig.2 is atop plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through Fig; 1 on the line 4-4 thereof. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through one of the drums.

In that embodiment of our invention illus trated in the drawings, 10 and 11 indicate drums each constitutinga generator-absorber and being of any usual or convenient construction adapted for use in connection with a refrigerating apparatus. Said drums are rigidly connected at their'ends by means of plates 12, 13', the drums and plates together constituting-a rocking-frame which is mounted in upright standards 14,14.

12", 13 indicatestuds projecting respectively from the plates 12- and 13. Said'studs are V-shaped, having knife edges 12", 13 at their lower edges which have bearing in V- shaped slots 15, 15 in the standards 14, '14:. The angle of the V-shaped slots is greater than that of theVsha'ped lugs so as'to permit the frame to have a certain amplitude of oscillation, said oscillation being "limited by the engagement of the sides of the V- shaped slotswith the sides of the V-shaped studs.

16 isa trough-shaped runway parallel to the plane through the centralaxes of the drums 10 and 11 and rigidly connectedto the oscillating frame of which'said drums are a part. Said runway issecured by means of hangers '17, 17 to the rocking frame, said hangers being shown in the drawings as bolted to the plate 12. The runway forms a track for a ball 18 and isclosed at its opposite ends to limit the movementof said ball.

19, is the main water supply pipe connected by a T-joint- 20 to branch pipes 21, 22 which in turn connect with pipes 23 and 24 located vertically above the drums 10 and 11 and extending longitudinally of and parallel to said drums. The branch pipes 21, 22 are suitably supported in the front standard 14, while the rear ends of the pipes 23 and 24 are supported by the rear standard 14. Both of said pipes are provided with perforations 23, 24 on their underside through which water is adapted to be discharged on top of the associateddrum.

25 is a lever which operates a two-way cock in the ,T-joint 20 and which is adapted to shiftthe water from the pipe 23 to the pipe 24 and then back again. The main water supply is controlled by a hand-.

valve 19.

26 is a main gas supply pipe connected by a T-joint 27 to branch pipes 28, 29, which are respectively connected with longitudinally extending pipes 30, 31 located under the drums 10 and 11, and extending longitudinally of and parallel to said drums. Said pipes are each provided with suitable burner openings30, 31, which are adapted to be lighted from pilot lights 32, 33 fed from the main supply pipe 26.

26 is a hand-valve which controls the gas supply.

35 is a lever which operates a two-way cock located in the T-joint 27 adapted to shift the supply of gas from the pipe 30 to the pipe 31 and vice versa.

37 is a trough located below the drums to receive the cooling water after it has passed over the drums. The water is led from said trough by a. pipe 37 to any suitable place for disposal. The gas pipes 30, 31, as shown in the drawings, are supported on said trough.

The levers 35, 25 are provided near their free ends with slots 35*, 25 through which extend a pivot 40 to which are pivotally connected the ends of links 41, 42 which have their other ends pivotally connected to arms 43, 44 of rocking levers 43", 44. Said levers are pivotally mounted on the ends of the drums at 43, 44. The lower shorter arms 43?, 44 of saidlevers are provided with angular extensions which are adapted to be struck by the ball 18 in the operation of the apparatus as will presently appear. Each drum is provided with lower intake pipes 50, 51, which are connected by branch pipes 50, 51 to a pipe 52 leading from the refrigerating coils; and with upper pipes 53,

. .54, connected, by branch pipes 53, 54, to a .pipe 55 which leads to the condensation coils. The pipes55 and 52 include flexible coils 55, 52 which are inserted so that the connection of the tank with said pipe will not interfere with the operation of the rock ing frame including the said tanks. Check valves are located at 56, 57, 58 and 59 which control the flow of gas-to and from the tanks in the usual manner.

The tanks 10 and 11 are provided with deflecting vanes 60. 60 and 61. 61 which shed the cooling water and prevent it from putting out the lights.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Consider the .parts of the apparatus in the position indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, when the drum 10 containsstrongliquor and the drum 11 weak liquor, while the burners of the pipe 30 are burning under the tank 10 and cooling water is flowing from the pipe 24 over the drum 11. The ball 18 is on the side of thedrum 1O and adds its weight to that of the drum 10 and the liquor con-- tained in said drum to overbalance thatside of the rocking frame. Under these conditions, ammonia gas is being driven from the drum 10 through the pipes 53, 53 and to the cooling and condensing coils and at ,thesame time ammonia gas which has passed through the refrigerating coils flows through the pipes 52, 51 51 into the drum 11 wherein it is absorbed by the weak liquor. The check-valves referred to prevent the gas from entering the wrong drum in the ordinary manner. This operation continues, the drum 10, by reason of the loss of gas, gradually losing weight, while the drum 11, by reason of the absorption of gas, gradually increases in weight. Finally a point is reached when the drum 11 overweighsthe combined, weight of the drum 10 and of the ball 18, whereupon the rocking frame tilts toward the right and the ball 18 rolls down the runway 16 to the opposite end, the runway now being inclined in a direction opposite to that shown in the drawings; Just as the ball 18 reaches the end of its travel and at the very instant that it is traveling at its highest speed, it strikes the angular end of the short arm 44 of the lever 441, thereby shiftin said lever and causing it through the lin 42 to shift the levers 25 and 35 so as to reverse the'cocks controlling the water and gas. This diverts the water from the pipe 24 to the pipe 23, above the clrum lO, and diverts the supply of gas from the pipe 30 to the pipe 31 under the drum 11. Ammonia gas is now driven off from the drum 11 to the cooling and condensing coils while the ammonia gas from the refrigerating coils is taken into and absorbed by the liquor in the drum 10. This continues as before until the drum 1O overweights the combined weight of the drum 11 and the ball 18, when the frame is shifted back to the position in.- dicated in the drawings with the ball andvalves in the position as in the first instance.

The ball'should be of suflicient weight to perform its one function of throwing the levers to operate the cocks and also to nearly the fulcrums of the rocking frame are usedv so that the slightest movement of the frame will put it in unstable equilibrium whereupon the ball will roll toward the heavier drum and shift the frame in that direction.

The generator-absorber drums are opposed to each other in their vertical movement and each acts as a counterbalance for the other, while the ball 18 acts as an auXiliary counterbalance on the side of the drum which is in the lowest position of its movement.

It will be apparent that the operation of the apparatus is continuous and entirely automatic, requiring no attention whatever after it has once been started. The apparatus is of particular advantage for use in connection with small refrigerators where the employment of an attendant to give the requisite constant attention to the apparatus is not justified by economy.

While in illustrating our invention we have shown herein an apparatus showing one embodiment of the invention, it is apparent thatthe details of the apparatus may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention and we do not wish to be in anyway limited thereby except in so far as pointed out in the appended claims.

We. claim as our invention 1. In a refrigerating apparatus of the absorption type, a' vertically movable generator-absorber adapted for containing liquor, a return pipe connected to said generator-absorber, a discharge pipe connected to said generator-absorber, flexible connections in said return and exhaust pipes, cooling and heating means adapted to alternately cool and heat said generator-absorber, a vertically movable counterbalancing member opposed to said generator-absorber, meaps connecting said generator-absorber with sald counterbalancing member, and means actuated by the movement of one of said vertically movable devices acting to control said cooling and heating means.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus of the absorption type, a generator-absorber adapted for containing liquor, a return-pipe connected to said generator-absorber, a discharge pipe connected to said generatorabsorber, flexible connections in said return and discharge pipes, cooling and heating means adapted to alternately cool and heat said generator-absorber, a rocking frame to and heating said generator-absorbers in al 1 ternation, means connecting said generatorabsorbers whereby-the weight of one is opposed to the weight of the other, and means actuated by the movement of said generatorabsorbers for controlling said cooling and heating means.

4. Ina refrigerating apparatus of the altternating absorption type, generator-absorbers adapted for containing liquor, return.

pipes connected to said generator-absorbers, discharge pipes connected to said generatorabsorbers, flexible connections in said return and discharge pipes, cooling and heating means adapted to cool and heat said generator-absorbers in alternation, a rocking frame to which said generatonabsorbers are secured, with the weight of one generatorabsorber opposed to that of the other generator-absorber, and means actuated by said rocking frame to control said cooling and heating means.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus of the alternating absorption type, generator-absorbers adapted for containing liquor, return pipes connected to said generator-absorbers, discharge pipes connected to said generatorabsorbers, cooling and heating means for cooling andheating said generator-absorbers in alternation, a rocking frame to which said generator-absorbers are connected, with the weight'of one generator-absorber opposed to that of the other generator-absorber, a track or runway rigidly secured to said rocking frame, a rolling auxiliary counterweight adapted to roll on said track or runway, and mechanism for controlling said cooling andheating means, said mechanism being actuated by said rolling counterweight.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus of the alternating absorption type, generator-absorbers adapted for containing liquor, return pipes connect'ed to said generator-absorbers, discharge pipes connected to said generatorabsorbers, coolin and heating means for coclingand heating said generator-absorbers in alternation, a rocking frame to which said generator-absorbers are connected with the weight of one generator-absorber opposed to that of the other generatorab sorber, a shifting auxiliaryfcounterweight cooling and heating said generator-absorbers in alternation, a rocking frame having limited oscillatory movement, said generatorabsorbers being rigidly secured to said frame with the weight of one opposed to that of the other, a runway secured to and rocking with said frame, a rolling auxiliary counterweight having limited movement to each side of the rocking center of said frame, levers one for each generator-absorber 10-. cated at the limits of the travel of said rolling counterweight, and means actuated by said levers for controlling said cooling and heating means.

8. In a refrigerating apparatus of the alternating absorption type, including generator-absorbers adapted for containing liquor,

return pipes connected to said generator-- absorbers, discharge pipes connected to said generator-absorbers, cooling water pipes located above each of said generator-absorbers, burner pipes located below each of said generator-absorbers, and controlling means for supplying cooling water to one generator-absorber and for turning on the gas supply under the other generator-absorber, a rocking frame to which said generatorabsorbers are connected on opposite sides of therocking center of said frame, a track or runway rigidly secured to said frame and rocking therewith, a rolling auxiliary counterweight adapted to roll on said track or runway and having limited movement on each side of the rocking center of said rocking frame, and levers located at opposite ends of said runway in position to be struck by said rolling counterweight, said levers actuating said 'water and gas controlling I means.

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our invention we afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses, this 15th day of August A. D. 1910.

, FRED. W. WOLF, JR.

HARRISON H. SOUTHWORTH. Witnesses:

V G. R. WILKINS, T. H. Anrnnns 

